Finally
by Kaliner
Summary: Mordecai finally gets a 'date' with Margaret, but how will things turn out when he suddenly has the courage to confess his true feelings? And what is going on with Eileen and Rigby? MordecaixMargaret, RigbyxEileen
1. Chapter 1

Mordecai gulped, twiddling his fingers nervously. Every few seconds he would glance at Margaret, who was getting food from the chef. Rigby glared at Mordecai as he munched on his French Dip.

"Okay," Mordecai finally said. "I'm ready."

"Finally!" Rigby shouted. "You've been twiddling your fingers for half an hour."

"Shut up; it's hard to muster enough courage to do this."  
>Rigby made a snorting noise. When Mordecai was about to punch him, he continued eating his lunch.<p>

"H-hey, Margaret," Mordecai called.

Margaret gave him a gesture to show that she was busy with a customer.

Mordecai smiled slightly. Deep in his heart, he wanted her to continue being busy, so he could put off talking to her.

"She's almost done," Mordecai murmured to Rigby. "Let's get out of here." He tried to grab his friend's arm.

"Oh, you wuss," Rigby groaned, wrenching his arm away.

"I don't think I can do this."

"It's not that hard; just ask her."

"But…"

"Do it!"

"Hey, guys." While they were arguing, Margaret made her way to their table. "What do you need, Mordecai?" He hand was in her pocket in case he wanted to order.

"Uh… I… um… haha," Mordecai laughed nervously. "Sorry. I mean… do you want…" he cleared his throat. "…hang out?" He said the last two words very quickly. He glanced hopefully at her. He was keeping his eyes averted from her while he spoke; he found that he was less nervous if he wasn't looking directly at her. When Margaret didn't say anything, Mordecai blushed. "You know what? Never mind. You're probably busy. S-sorry." He got up to leave.

"Wait, Mordecai," Margaret said, stopping him in his tracks. "Um… I get off at four."  
>Mordecai's heart jumped in his throat.<p>

"Really? And uh… it's not like a date or anything, you know. Since… since I know you have a boyfriend and all…" He trailed off, his blush deepening.

"Okay. Four, then" Margaret said, waving as she ran off to help others who were just coming in.

"Wow; it worked," Mordecai said in disbelief as he watched Margaret take more orders.

"Dude, what the "H"?" Rigby shouted. His French Dip lay on the plate next to him, almost completely eaten.

"What?"

"'It's not a date or anything. Blah, blah, blah," he mocked. "You're never going to get with her if you act like that."

"It's better than nothing," Mordecai retorted. "And who knows? I might be able to charm her tonight."

"Pfft! Yeah, right! You'll just be going 'uh, uh, uh,'" Rigby laughed, picking up the last of his sandwich and stuffing it into his mouth.

"Shut up! Let's go. I'm betting I have stuff to do before four."

"You mean like take a class on charming? OWW!" Rigby cried when Mordecai's fist met with his scrawny arm. "Dude…"

"Let's go," Mordecai repeated.

Rigby went to the counter, where Eileen was working. She smiled at him as he paid for his lunch. He gave her his own flat expression.

"Bye, Rigby," Eileen said as he walked to the door with Mordecai. He barely waved back.

"See you at four," Margaret called out.

"Bye!"

Mordecai was on cloud nine as he and Rigby made their way back to the park.

"I can't believe I have a date with Margaret!" He cheered.

"Yeah, right, man," Rigby said. "You said it wasn't a date."

"Well, to me, it is."

"What if her boyfriend finds out?"

Mordecai stopped.

"He won't, alright? I think of this as a date that can change my relationship with Margaret. If it works out, her and her boyfriend will be over." He put his index finger to his throat and made a slicing noise.

"You're going to kill him?" Rigby screamed.

"No! Just their relationship."

"That's screwed up," Rigby commented.

"I know it sounds bad," Mordecai agreed, "but I've been in love with Margaret since freshman year."

"Is it love? Huh?" Rigby jumped onto Mordecai's chest, peering into his eyes.

"Of course it is! Do you think I'd be so flustered if it wasn't? And get off!" Mordecai pushed Rigby off of him.

"I guess not," Rigby said.

They were silent as they walked through the gates, Rigby kicking a rock that was in his path.

"What if you screw it up by being too flirty?" Rigby finally broke the silence.

Mordecai blushed. "Oh, wait… never mind."

"What never mind?" Mordecai asked.

"Well, you can never ask her out on a real date. You'd be too nervous to actually flirt with her. Your plan is going downhill fast."

"Shut up," Mordecai snapped, shoving Rigby. "When you're in love, you'll realize how hard it is to talk to that person."

"You don't have a problem talking to her about normal stuff," Rigby commented.

"Well, yeah, but that's normal stuff," he explained to Rigby as though he were a five year old, infuriating the raccoon. "The thing about this is a fear of rejection. Yeah, I'm scared. Whenever I wanted to ask her out, I would go blank. I thought she would say no, and that frightened me. If you noticed, normal stuff is what kept me from fainting all those times. I would try to ask her out, and then switch to talking about the weather."

"Did you almost faint today?"

"I was close. This close." Mordecai gestured how close he was to fainting. "I'm surprised my face wasn't so red."

"Dude, it was," Rigby laughed.

They reached the house in the park. Mordecai opened the door and sat on the couch. Rigby did the same, reaching for the remote control. He clicked it.

"Damn, I hate crappy television," he scowled, turning it off and tossing it on the table, which caused a clatter loud enough for Benson to hear.

"What's going on here?" The gumball machine man yelled as he burst from the kitchen door.

"What, are you stalking us?" Rigby asked.

"I just happened to be in the kitchen at the time you came in," Benson replied, gritting his teeth. "Do not throw the remote against the table. If either one breaks, I'm taking it out of _your_ paycheck. And… What's up with Mordecai?" Mordecai had a dreamy far look on his face as he stared into the distance.

"He's going out with Margaret tonight."

"Margaret? The girl he's been trying to ask out for months now?" Rigby nodded. "How'd he manage that?"

"By telling her it wasn't a date."

"That's idiotic."

"Tell me about it. So, are you finished with your threatening?"

"Most certainly not," Benson said. "If you break any of those things, you will also be on dish duty for a month!" Benson stalked away, but not before giving them a list of chores to complete.

Mordecai saw the list and let out a groan.

"Okay, dude, it's almost two," Mordecai said, pointing to the clock. "We only have two hours to finish this before I need to pick up Margaret."

"Get to work, then," Rigby said, relaxing even more on the couch. Mordecai grabbed him by his tail and threw him to the floor. "What was that?"

"I'm doing this all by myself? Come on!"

Rigby muttered darkly as he followed Mordecai out the door. Mordecai had the list in his hand.

"First," he said, looking over the piece of paper, "we have to take the garbage out."

"Then why did we leave the house?"

"I don't know!"

Mordecai sprinted into the house and emptied every garbage can he could find. "Rigby, run to all the other trashcans."

"But…"

"Just do it!"

Rigby glared at his blue jay friend, but did what he was told. He ran to all the remaining trashcans around the park. He panted as he grew tired of running. He slowed down to a walk. "This sucks," he said to himself. "Why did Mordecai get to get the trash from the house? There's only like four trashcans there! There's like fifty here!"

Rigby spotted a bench near another trashcan. He sat down on it.

"Rigby!" Mordecai yelled. "What are you doing?"

"Taking a break, man," Rigby replied.

"Dude, we don't have time for this! I have to pick up Margaret in less than two hours."

"Well, maybe if you helped pick up some of the garbage around this freaking football field, we'd be done by now!"

"I can't."

"What? Why?"

"I'm trying to charm the girl, you know," Mordecai explained. "I can't charm a girl if I smell like yesterday's dinner."

"Dude, just take a bath," Rigby said. "It's not that hard."

"By the rate we're going, I won't have time to take a bath."

"We'd be going faster if you helped! Come on! What's next on the list anyway?" He jumped from the bench and tried to grab the list from Mordecai's hand. Mordecai responded by holding it out of his reach. "Dude!"

"The next thing is cleaning the kitchen. Shouldn't take too long. After that we have to plant some more flowers in the garden."

"We only have a few more trashcans to go, so help me," Rigby told him, taking the trash out of the can next to bench. "See? I'm working! It sucks, but I'm working!"

"Alright," Mordecai sighed. He would just have to work fast to ensure he had time to take a bath and get ready.

He and Rigby quickly emptied all the remaining trashcans of all their garbage and dumped them into the giant dumpster in front of the park.

"Ugh, I reek!" Mordecai complained, sniffing his hands.

"Margaret won't want you now!" Rigby cracked up.

"Shut it!"

Mordecai trudged his way into the kitchen, which wasn't half bad. Only a little bit of dirt lay on the floor and counters. He vigorously scrubbed the counters until it was literally sparkling. Meanwhile, Rigby swept and scrubbed the floors.

Mordecai glanced at the clock. It was three thirty. He yelped.

"I have to get ready!" He screamed. "Rigby, can you handle the plants?"

"I guess," Rigby huffed. "Shouldn't be too hard."

"Thanks, buddy, thanks a lot!" Mordecai ran upstairs to the bathroom.

He turned on the bath.

"Stupid garbage," he muttered, looking at himself in the mirror. His blue feathers were specked with bits of dirt.

Mordecai lowered himself into the bathtub, the warmness covering his entire body.

"Aah," he sighed. He grabbed a piece of soap and began scrubbing every inch of himself. He continued to wash himself, using soap and shampoo, until the smell was completely gone.

He stepped out of the bath, rubbing his wet feathers with a towel. He examined himself in the mirror again. He scowled.

"Look at me," he said. "No way she's going for me. I'm so scrawny compared to her boyfriend. No, no, no." He shook his head roughly. "Calm yourself. You've got one thing that they don't have. You actually care about her." Mordecai took a deep breath before spraying himself with cologne.

He went to his bedroom and grabbed a white collar shirt with a tie and a pair of black pants.

He found Rigby downstairs sitting on the couch, playing video games. Rigby looked over the couch to see Mordecai at the foot of the stairs.

"Dude, this isn't a good idea," Rigby said.

"What?" He looked down at his attire, wondering if he did something wrong.

"What happens if you do get together? Where does that leave me?"

"Don't worry about crap like that, Rigby," Mordecai said. "Let's just see how tonight works out. What time is it?"

"Almost four."

"What? Okay, I better get going! Thanks for your help today!" Mordecai screamed as he ran out of the house and straight to the coffee shop without stopping.


	2. Chapter 2

Margaret was waiting for him near the entrance to the coffee shop. Mordecai could see Eileen inside, taking dirty plates back to the kitchen.

"Hey, Margaret," Mordecai said, walking towards her. "Sorry I'm running a bit late."

"That's fine," she replied. "Wow, you're looking really nice tonight."

Mordecai felt his face flush and he quickly turned his eyes away from her. "So… now what?"

"Do you mind taking me back to my apartment? I need to change into some decent clothes." Mordecai wanted to tell her that she looked beautiful the way she was, but he was too much of a coward to do that. That, and her uniform was splattered with coffee stains.

"No problem."

"Great."

Mordecai and Margaret waved to Eileen, who knew what Mordecai was up to. She gave him a wink when Margaret wasn't looking.

They walked side by side down the street, not talking at all.

Mordecai's heart pounded in his chest as he saw her hand swinging gracefully next to her thigh. He wanted to hold her hand, but he had told her this wasn't a date. He gulped and kept his hands to himself.

"Here we are," Margaret said, breaking the uneasy silence.

Mordecai looked up to see a nice looking apartment building.

"Come in?" She asked, which made him blush again.

"Sure," he replied, trying to keep the shyness out of his voice.

Margaret led him upstairs to her apartment. She took out a key and opened the door.

It was small, but decent sized for one or maybe two people. There was a cute couch in the middle of the room with a coffee table in front of it and a television set close by. There was a quaint kitchen that had a vase of roses on the counter.

"Something from your boyfriend, huh?" Mordecai asked without thinking.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Angel gave those to me last weekend," Margaret replied, smiled. "Well, make yourself at home, Mordecai." She retreated to the bedroom.

Mordecai felt like such a creep right now. He had this desire to see what her bedroom looked like. He had always imagined it had a queen sized bed with red bedspread, with a little nightstand with a lamp on it next to it. He also imagined stuffed animals on her bed. She was cute, so why shouldn't she have cute things?

"Ugh," he groaned. "Stop it, stop it, stop it. Thinking about those things is going to make you feel worse." He glanced over his shoulder to see the bathroom. Before he could think about stopping himself, he made his way to it. There was an assortment of perfumes, deodorants, and hair supplies sitting on top of the counter. He peeked into the cabinet to see various cosmetics, including lipstick and blush. When he heard the sound of a door opening, he immediately shut the door to the bathroom and the cabinet. He flushed the toilet and washed his hands.

"Nice place you got," he commented, opening the door. "Sorry, just using your bathroom."

"Oh, that's fine."

Mordecai was so nervous about the bathroom that his brain didn't comprehend what Margaret was wearing. When he was able to clear his head, he saw that she wore a short blue dress with ruffles and a necklace.

"Wow," was all he could say. "You look… amazing."

"Thanks," Margaret giggled as she pulled on matching blue sandals. "Ready to go?"

"Um…" Mordecai's eyes glanced at the closed bedroom door. "You mind if I take… a little tour of your place?" He smiled nervously.

"Sure! I mean you've already seen the bathroom. But, here's my kitchen." Margaret pointed to the quaint kitchen he saw when he walked in. "Cabinets filled with plates, cups, and whatnot. Hehe."

"Do you like to cook?"

"Oh, yeah! I love baking mostly. Cakes, muffins, you name it."

"I'd love to try one of your sweets someday," Mordecai said. He turned red, wondering whether or not his choice of words was appropriate. Margaret giggled, immediately relaxing him.

"Um… this is the living room, obviously. And… my bedroom is back here." She walked to the closed door and turned the doorknob.

Mordecai's heart was beating frantically.

When the door opened, he saw that her room was more or less the same as his imagination. The only thing that was different was that the bedspread was pink, not red. One glance at Margaret's bed and instantly improper thoughts filled his head. Mordecai imagined Margaret and him cuddling on her bed, his head resting upon hers. She looked at him, eyes sparkling with happiness, and kissed him. And he kissed back. Well, maybe it wasn't _that _improper, but it was to him

"Mordecai?" Margaret said, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Huh? What?"

"Ready to go?"

"Oh, yeah," he laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Nice place," he said again as they stepped out of apartment.

"Thanks," Margaret replied, locking the door. "So, you were pretty deep in thought back there. What were you thinking about?" She asked as they were making their way to the elevator.

"Uh… well…" Mordecai stammered. "Just… stuff."

"Alright, you don't have to tell me," she giggled.

They got into the elevator. Once it descended to the ground floor, they got out.

The sun was still shining high in the sky and there was a cool breeze, which ruffled their feathers.

"Nice weather today," Margaret commented.

"Yeah," he replied.

"So, where do you want to go?"

"See a movie?" Mordecai shrugged.

"Sounds good!"

"Awesome." As they were walking down a semi-crowded street, he said, "We can go out to eat afterwards, if that's alright with you."

"I don't know," she replied. "I'm meeting Angel tonight at eight to go out to eat." Mordecai's heart throbbed painfully.

"Oh. Well, you know, that's cool. He seems like a pretty cool guy."

"He is! He writes song, you know. He wrote one about me!"

"Did he, really? What was called?"

"Red Feathered Beauty," Margaret laughed. "It was so sweet. Have you ever written a song?"

"Nah. I mean, Rigby and I tried the band thing, but it wasn't too great. You remember that?"

Margaret nodded. "That was the night you and Angel first met."

"Yeah," he said, twiddling with his fingers nervously as he did earlier that day. "Uh, Margaret?" He asked.

"Yeah?"

He desperately wanted to tell her how much he cared for her, how much he loved her, but his throat went dry when he tried to speak.

"Uh… never mind. Sorry, my throat's a little sore."

"Are you sick?" She exclaimed.

"No, no! Just… hurts a little. Kind of like my stomach." His stomach had been clenching since he had picked her up at the coffee shop, but now it was worse.

"Maybe we should hang out some other time," she suggested sweetly.

"Oh, no. Who knows when I'll have time again?" He sighed. _Who knows when I will have the courage to ask you again? _"I'll be fine."

"You sure?" He was pleased to hear concern in her voice.

"Yes," he replied, trying to suppress his smile. _Dude, why can't you just tell her?_ _Tell her why your stomach and throat are hurting!_

While Mordecai's brain and heart were at war with one another, he walked close to Margaret, his fingers brushing against her hand. He was hardly aware of what he was doing. It was only when she spoke up that he saw just how close they really were.

"Mordecai, are you alright? You're walking really close to me," Margaret said.

"Oh!" He gasped, glancing down. "Sorry, sorry!" _Just grab her hand, you coward! _He edged away from her. "That better?"

"Well, I actually didn't have a problem with it, but whatever."

He contemplated moving nearer to her, but he didn't want to freak her out, so he just kept on walking.

They reached the theater ten minutes later.

"I'll pay for the tickets," Mordecai said. He handed her a ten. "You can get some popcorn and some drinks or something."

"No problem," Margaret responded. "Which movie are we seeing?"

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2?" He suggested. "I know you've already seen it, but…"

"I'd love to."

"Alright, then."

Mordecai watched her walk into the theater and head to the concession stand. He went to the ticket vendor, holding his money tightly in his hand.

"Helloo~" The ticket seller was a teenage girl with brown braided pigtails with pink streaks. She had too much makeup on, especially around the eyes, and her arms were covered with bracelets. "May I help you?" She had an annoyingly high voice; the perkiness in it did not help Mordecai as he cringed.

"Yeah, uh… two tickets for Harry Potter at five," he told her.

"Alrighty, then!" She printed out the tickets. "That'll be eighteen dollars, please." She smiled a rather creepy smile.

Mordecai chuckled uneasily as he handed her the money. "Thank yoou!" She sang. "Now, here are your tickets. Enjoy the shoow!"

"Thanks."

"Oh, by the way, sir," she called him back as he was beginning to head inside.

"Yes?" Mordecai asked, irritated.

"I saw the way you were looking at that girl!"

"I-I hardly think that is any of your business," he spat.

"Sorry, just saying. Go foooor iiiit!"

"Yeah, I'm really going to take romantic advice from a sixteen year old girl who's in her rebellious stage," he muttered sarcastically.

Margaret was standing near the concession counter, holding the bucket of popcorn in her hands; the drinks were on the counter next to her.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Yeah," he said, taking the drinks.

For some reason, he couldn't get his mind off what that girl said. Why was it so obvious for everyone else to see that Mordecai was crushing on Margaret, but she couldn't see it?

He pushed the thought to the back of his head.

They went to their theater and sat down.

"This movie is good, huh?" Mordecai whispered.

"Oh, yeah, it's amazing!"

"Yeah. I wanted to go see it, but I've been way too busy."

"I know how that is." She sighed. "So, have you read the books?"

"Yup! Great books, they are."

"Yeah…"

The theater lights started to dim and the previews started.

Mordecai tuned them out, his eyes glued to Margaret, whose eyes were glued to the screen.

His attention was pulled back to the screen when the movie started.

For someone who has seen the movie already, Margaret was completely engulfed. He loved how emotional she was getting; he thought it was sweet.

Mordecai's face turned a bright red when Ron and Hermione kissed.

_Oh… why can't I just do that?_

As the deaths starting coming in, Margaret started to cry.

Mordecai gulped and put his arm around her.

"It's okay," he whispered.

She did not pull away; if anything, she cuddled closer to him.

_Aw, okay, okay… this is… nice. Really nice. _

Margaret was in tears by the time the movie was over. Mordecai helped her up to her feet and walked her out of the theater, his arm still around her. He threw away the popcorn and drinks, which he was securing in his free hand.

"Thanks, Mordecai," she said, wiping her eyes. "I feel childish."

"No, don't feel that way," he told her. "You have every right to be teary. It's the last one, isn't?" She nodded. "I bet a lot of people feel like you do." (Like me, the author!)

"What time is it?"

"Ah, like almost eight," Mordecai replied bitterly, glancing at his watch. "You're going to meet Angel, huh?"

"Yeah. He's meeting me at my place."

"I can walk you there," he offered.

"That'd be nice."

The walk back was awkward to Mordecai. He had just had his arm around her, and she didn't feel anything? Maybe she did and she didn't want to say?

_Ugh, why is this so complicated?_

"Thank you so much for walking me home, Mordecai," Margaret said as they were nearing her apartment. "I had a great time tonight."

"Yeah, I did too," Mordecai agreed.

_No, say something else! It's now or never, Mordecai!_

Mordecai grabbed Margaret's wrist. "M-Margaret, I… well… I…" And the words drifted away from his mind. He stood there, his hand around her wrist, frozen to the spot. He let go of her. "I'm sorry."

"Mordecai?" She asked, her voice full of concern and kindness.

"Hey, Margaret!" A voice said from behind them. They both turned around to see Margaret's boyfriend striding towards them.

He wore a red collar shirt with a guitar on the pocket, black jeans, and doc martens. His blonde hair fell to his shoulders.

"Hi, Angel," Margaret said, smiling hugely at him.

"Who's this?" He pointed to Mordecai.

"Oh, you remember Mordecai. You met at Battle of the Bands."

"I remember!" Angel shouted. "How you doing, Mordo?"

"I've been better," Mordecai remarked, the bitterness hot on his tongue. "Well, I'm going to be heading home now. See you tomorrow, I guess."

"Bye," Margaret said, waving at him; her grin faded at the sight of solemn face. "Thanks for a great time." She wanted to pull him back and ask what was wrong, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"You're welcome." Mordecai was walking away when he suddenly stopped, a look of determination painted on his face. _No, you know what? Don't just walk away! I have to tell her! Everything! _"Margaret," Mordecai said, spinning around and making his way towards her. "Listen to me, please."

"Sure." She was puzzled. Angel listened intently, curious as to what Mordecai had to say.

_Just do it. You care about her, don't you? _"I… really… oh, why is this so hard? I really care… about you." She blushed. "Hell, care is a freaking understatement. I… uh… well, you know…"

"What is it?" She asked, peering into his face. "Tell me."

"I…guess you can say… I like you." He blushed a deep red. He had done it; he had finally revealed his feelings. But, his heart was telling him something different. _Idiot! Like is an understatement as well as care! If you're not going to tell her the truth, don't say anything! _"Ah! Margaret… I don't like you… What I'm trying to say is…" He pushed back the feathers on his head, another habit of his when he was nervous. "…I… love…I love you! Alright?"

"Mordecai…"

Angel looked at Mordecai with pure hatred.

"I've been in love with you since freshman year! The only reason I go to that damn coffee shop is to see you. And because the coffees are bitching, but mostly, it's just for you. If I ever made you feel uncomfortable because I stuttered, I'm sorry. I'm not a very courageous guy. So, it's very hard for me to confess my feelings. And yet, here I am, pouring my heart out to you."

"I… don't really…feel the same way," Margaret told him. The rejection hurt as much as Mordecai thought it would, maybe even more. Her words pierced through his body like ice blades.

"Okay." He nodded, his voice cracking. "That's cool. I guess I'll see you around. Oh, and if I'm not at the coffee shop tomorrow, don't be surprised, alright?"

Without allowing her to say another word, he walked away, trying to conceal the tears that threatened to spill out of his eyelids.


	3. Chapter 3

Rigby was lying on the couch, watching random television. He was waiting for Mordecai to come back.

The door opened moments later, and Mordecai stepped in.

"Mordecai!" Rigby shouted. "How'd it go?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Mordecai murmured.

"What? Did you ruin the night? Did you spill food on her or something?" Rigby laughed.

"I told her everything, alright?" Mordecai yelled, turning his face to Rigby, revealing teary eyes. "She told me she didn't feel the same way."

"Oh, man," Rigby whispered. He was sad for Mordecai, really he was, but he couldn't help but feel a little happy. There was no way he would be left out. "Are

you okay?"

"No, no, I'm not okay! If you don't mind, I'd rather just go to bed."

"Okay."

Mordecai stormed upstairs, opened the door to the bedroom, and slammed it.

He fell against his bed, sobs pressing against his chest agonizingly

"Why am I such an idiot?" He asked himself. "I should've stayed away!"

Mordecai had no will to do anything the next day, even though he knew he had a mountainload of work to do. All he did was lie in his bed, staring at the ceiling. His hands were folded over his chest, which was beating slower than the day yesterday.

"Mordecai!" A voice yelled, opening the door. Pops, Benson, and Rigby stood in the doorway. "Get down there and get to work!" Benson shouted, pointing downstairs.

"Hahahaahahah! Yes, come, come!" Pops cheered.

"I'm not in the mood," he hissed.

"What? 'Not in the mood?'" Benson repeated with anger. "Mordecai, I am not joking here. You get downstairs now, or you're fired!"

"Then, fire me!" Mordecai shouted. He let out a crazed laugh. "I don't care anymore!"

"What is wrong with you?"

"He told Margaret how he felt, and needless to say, he was rejected." Rigby explained.

"Oh, how unfortunate," Pops commented. "Benson, I say we leave Mordecai be. He's heartbroken."

"Work does not stop just because someone is heartbroken," Benson said.

"Oh, Benson, need I remind you of Veronica?" Pops asked; Benson went red, not with anger, but with embarrassment.

"Please, please, leave me alone," Mordecai pled. "I'll use my sick days. I don't care."

"What if you really get sick?" Rigby asked, climbing onto the foot of the bed.

"Then, I'll work. This feels much worse than a cold or a flu."

Benson sighed and left the room.

Pops approached Mordecai's bed.

"Don't worry, Mordecai," Pops said.

"Mm…" Mordecai mumbled.

Pops patted him on the head and followed Benson down the stairs.

Rigby stayed on Mordecai's bed, staring at his friend with worry.

"Mordecai," Rigby finally said, breaking the silence that was forming between the two. "It'll be okay. I'm going to the coffee shop."

Rigby jumped off the bed.

"Don't!" Mordecai cried. "Come on, Rigby, don't."

But Rigby wasn't listening; he was already out the door.

Rigby had to be stealthy in order to get out of the park without Benson noticing. He hid behind trees, the golf carts, and benches.

Once he was near the exit, he bolted through the gate.

"Hehe," he laughed.

Rigby took a deep breath as he opened the door to the coffee shop. There was jingle as it opened.

Margaret looked up at the sound, about to greet the customer, but she stopped when she was it was Rigby.

"Hi, Rigby," Eileen said, walking up to him. "You want some coffee?"

"Not now," he replied. "I need to talk to Margaret. When's her break?"

"She has a break in about ten minutes. But, I'm on my break now if you want to talk to me," Eileen added quickly when Rigby let out his famous "Ahh!"

"Ah… I guess so."

Eileen and Rigby sat down at a free table.

"If you're on your break, why'd you offer to give me coffee?" Rigby asked.

"Well… because…" She blushed. "Nothing. Hehe. So, what did you want to talk to Margaret about?"

"Did she tell you about last night?"

"Oh, yeah," Eileen said, her face dropping. "What a shame, huh?"

"Yeah."

"How's Mordecai doing?"

"He's a total wreck. He won't get out of bed!"

"Poor guy," Eileen whispered. "I seriously thought Margaret felt the same way about him."

"Why did you think that?"

"Well, she's dating around, you know? I thought she did that because she was unsure of Mordecai's feelings."

"How can anyone be unsure?" Rigby questioned. "It's way too obvious!"

"Well, yeah, but she was surprised when he told her last night."

"Yeah, that's true."

Eileen let out a small sigh. "Well, I do hope things work out. I think they make an amazing couple, don't you?"

"…I do," Rigby admitted. "But, I'm scared. Scared of losing my bro. I'm afraid he won't have time form me."

"Don't be afraid about things like that," Eileen told him. "Mordecai will always be your bro, and he'll make time for you. But, if you ever do feel left out, I'll be here." She smiled.

Despite his fear of being pushed away and his revulsion of Eileen, he smiled back.

"Margaret's break is starting. Margaret, over here!" The mole waved at her friend to join them.

Margaret seemed very distressed as she walked over to their table. She sat down, fearing what they were going to say.

"Hi, Rigby," Margaret said, her voice soft and distant, much like Mordecai's.

"Hey," he responded flatly.

"Eileen, don't you have to work?"

"I still have five more minutes."

"So…" Margaret said, staring at Rigby. "What's up?"

"I don't know; why don't you tell me?" Rigby asked, crossing his arms. He was angry with her, for what she did to his best friend. Even though he wanted the attention, he couldn't help but feel bitter.

"I know why you're here, Rigby."

"Good. I'm glad you know."

"But…"

"I don't understand you, Margaret," he began. "How many boyfriends have you been through in the last year?"

"I don't know… Two or three?"

"How about the last two years?"

"About six," she admitted, blushing and looking down at the table in embarrassment.

"And who broke up with who?" Rigby inquired.

"Um…Rigby…" Eileen was about to say that he was supposed to use 'whom' instead of 'who,' but she thought it wasn't the time, so she said no more.

"They… broke up with me, mostly. I broke up with a couple."

"Were they jerks?"

"Yeah, most of them."

"Then, why do you keep doing this?" Rigby finally shouted, causing everyone in the shop to turn their heads to him. "If these guys break up with you and are jerks, you don't need them! Mordecai's different than those guys, you know that?"

"How is he anyway?"

"He's just peachy!" The sarcasm was not hard to notice.

"Listen, I am sorry for what I did, but…" Margaret trailed off, tears filling her eyes. "I see Mordecai as a really close friend. Not anything more."

"Fine. I'm leaving then." Rigby jumped off the chair. "See you later, Eileen."

Eileen waved at him, muttering a soft "bye."

Margaret buried her face in her hands.

Rigby took his sweet time walking back to the park. He would become interested in the littlest of things, like a blade of grass that was being blown by the wind or a small rock on the sidewalk.

So many things were going through his mind.

He felt guilty for being somewhat pleased when Margaret rejecting Mordecai. Mordecai was his best friend, and he was in pain.

Eileen was becoming more and more cute to him, but he shoved that thought aside.

There was still work to be done at the park. Once he got back, he would be yelled at by Benson.

But, right now, that was the least of his worries.

He didn't want to go back; he didn't want to see Mordecai lying in bed, broken.

"This sucks," he muttered to himself.

However, he had to go back eventually and he didn't have any money or anything to do.

Once he got inside the park's grounds, he met with Benson.

"Where have you been?" He yelled, his gumballs turning red.

"Coffee shop," Rigby responded immediately, which surprised him.

"Why aren't you doing your work? That house isn't going to vacuum itself!" He pointed to the house.

"I just wanted to talk to Margaret. I'll get the work done. Excuse me."

Rigby didn't allow Benson another word.

He walked right past him and into the house.

"Hey, get back here!" Benson yelled.

"Rigby, is that you?" Mordecai called from upstairs when he heard the door shut. "You didn't go to the coffee shop, did you?"

"I sure did!" Rigby yelled back as he climbed up the stairs and into the bedroom.

"What? I told you not to!"

"I had to, alright? Margaret's pissing me off."

"Don't blame her," Mordecai said. "It's mostly my fault. If I had been a little more forward with my feelings, she might've returned them, but no, I had to be a freaking weakling! I'm not angry with her; I'm angry with myself."

"I blame her for being so damn oblivious."

"Don't be like that," Mordecai snapped. "I still love her, alright?"

Rigby groaned. "I get that she's pretty and all, but I don't really get what you see in her other than that!"

"Are you kidding me?" The blue jay asked in disbelief. "She's not only the most beautiful girl in the world, she's kind, she's cheerful, and she's a hard worker."

"If she was so kind, she wouldn't be breaking your heart," Rigby muttered loud enough for Mordecai to hear. This caused a pillow to be thrown against his head. "Hey!"

"Shut up, Rigby!"

Rigby threw the pillow back to Mordecai, who immediately laid his head upon it.

"I'm going to start the vacuum."

"You're not slacking off?" Mordecai asked, eyes widened.

"Nah. Slacking's no fun unless you're doing it too. I don't consider lying in bed depressed slacking off." Rigby walked downstairs, grabbing the vacuum from the closet. He started it, thinking of his friend upstairs.


	4. Chapter 4

Mordecai sighed, pushing the covers off him and throwing them to the floor. He stepped over them. _Oh, well. I'll pick them up later. _

He caught sight of himself in a mirror on his way downstairs. It shocked him how dead he looked. His feathers were all tussled and his eyes were so… blank. He knew the rejection would hurt, but he never expected it to take such an emotional toll on him. He always told himself to expect it and not let it get to him, but he broke that promise.

"Please," he said to himself. "It's not that easy to just not let it get to me." He half expected his reflection to snap at him for breaking his promise, but it didn't happen. Instead, it stared back at him, its listless eyes boring into his soul.

Mordecai turned away from the mirror, unable to look at what he had become, and continued his journey to the living room. Rigby was finished with the vacuuming and was enjoying a well deserved break playing video games. The vacuum was lying on its side near the couch; leave it to Rigby not to pick it up.

"Hey, Mordecai," he said when he heard the last step creak. "Want to play with me?" He shook a controller over his head.

"No."

"Come on, dude. It's no fun playing by myself."

"No," Mordecai repeated. "I don't want to."

"Dude, when are you just going to accept it? You knew it would happen, didn't you?"

"Leave me alone. I need some time to myself."

"You had all day!"

"Whatever."

Mordecai opened the front door, walked out, and slammed it. Skips, who was patrolling the park area, looked up. He said nothing as Mordecai walked past him.

"I'm so stupid," Mordecai kept saying to himself. "I'm so stupid. I'm so stupid! Why did I have to go and ruin everything? Stupid heart, stupid brain! Why couldn't you two agree on me not telling her? I ruined everything!" _You may have been rejected, but you wanted to tell her. You were trying to all night. _

Mordecai ignored the painful pounding of his heart and continued walking. He stopped by a tree, falling beside it, seeking refuge under its shade.

He looked up at the sky and desperately wished he could fly. He wanted to fly away from here, away from the pain, and arrive someplace new where he could meet a new girl and fall in love with her. And she would love him back. She would sit with him underneath the shade and hold his hand as he thought about how lucky he was. But…it was only a hopeless dream. He couldn't fly away from his troubles; he could only avoid them for so long. Even if he could fly to a new land and find a new girl, he would definitely not be thinking about lucky he was; he would be thinking of all the things he left behind. He would think about Rigby, Benson, Pops, Skips, High-Five Ghost, and Eileen. Hell, he would even think about Muscleman! But, he would think about Margaret the most. He knew deep down in his broken little heart that no one could replace her. He knew that even if he did find a new love, she would always be the one.

Mordecai closed his eyes, allowing his thoughts consume his troubled mind.

Teenage Mordecai and Rigby stood outside a massive high school. Both of them looked up at with amazement and fear.

"Dude, are you ready to take the first step into adulthood?" Mordecai asked, keeping his eyes on the school.

"Yeah," Rigby replied, balling his hands into fists.

"Alright."

They took a deep breath, reached out their foot, and stepped into the school.

There were a bundle of students, walking around, greeting friends they haven't seen for a few months, and sitting down eating breakfast.

Mordecai and Rigby glanced around, excitement filling the nerves rather quickly.

"Dude, this is awesome!" Rigby declared.

"Yeah, I know!" Mordecai nodded.

They walked through the sea of students, taking in their surroundings. Almost at once, the nerves started to come back as they saw more and more people.

"Do we make the first move?" Mordecai asked nervously. "Or do we wait until someone approaches us?"

"I'm just going to wait. I don't want to seem desperate."

"But, you are!"

"STOP TALKING!"

Mordecai shook his head, smirking. "Alright, alright." He and Mordecai sat down on a small brick wall that was built around a garden. "We'll just wait."

They waited and waited until finally they just stopped caring. They were about to get up and go to their first class, until a voice called out to them.

"Hi," a girl said.

Mordecai brought his head up to meet her eyes, and he was smitten. "Hi."

"Are you new here, too?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Margaret," she said, holding out her hand to shake his. It took Mordecai a few seconds to reach his out too.

"Mordecai," he replied. "This is Rigby." He jerked his head toward Rigby.

"Yo," Rigby said, giving her a wave.

"Well, it's nice to meet you! I think class is going to be starting soon. I hope I find you guys during lunch." Margaret waved at them as she ran off to join a small group of friends, one of which was a small mole, who looked just as scared as Mordecai and Rigby did when they were facing the school.

"Did you see that girl?" Mordecai asked Rigby once Margaret was out of earshot.

"What about her?"

"She's gorgeous, isn't she?"

"She was alright."

"Alright? She was beautiful!"

"Dude, calm down. I think you might be falling for her," Rigby laughed.

"I think I am."

"I was kidding around!" Rigby shouted.

"No, no, I'm not. I think I am," he repeated.

"Ugh! Come on, Mordecai. We're going to be late!"

They got up from the brick wall and hurried off to their class, getting lost once or twice.

Over the next coming months, Mordecai's feelings for Margaret grew rapidly. Rigby, meanwhile, had his hands full with Eileen, the shy mole, who had taken quite a liking to him.

"She's driving me nuts," he whispered angrily during lunch one day.  
>"Dude, come on; she's cute," Mordecai whispered back.<p>

"She's freaking me out."

"Doesn't Margaret look nice today?"

Margaret was chatting away with Eileen, unaware that Mordecai was admiring her from afar.

"You're really into her, aren't you?" Rigby asked.

"Rigby, can I confide in you?" Mordecai asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

"Sure?"

"I think I might be in love with her."

"What?" Rigby shouted.

Everyone at lunch turned their heads to see what was going on. Mordecai grabbed Rigby by the arm and pulled him away.

"Nothing to see here, folks; just messing around," Mordecai said to everyone as they walked to a small tree. "Rigby, what's your problem?" He growled, punching him.

"Ow!" Rigby cried, massaging his arm. "Sorry. I was just shocked, that's all. You haven't known her that long."

"I know, but she's so nice and beautiful. I've never met a girl like her before."

"Morde…"

"Mordecai?" Margaret asked, standing in front of them, Eileen right behind her.

"Oh, hey, Margaret!" Mordecai said, laughing apprehensively. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to know if you were alright. You left so suddenly."

"I'm fine! Just fine!"

"That's good. I was thinking you might be sick or something. I wouldn't want that." Margaret smiled. "We're going to head back to the table."

"Sure thing," Mordecai said, watching Margaret and Eileen sit back at their table. He sighed, looking over to Rigby. "Dude, I'm in love with her."

Mordecai busied himself with the tassel on his cap as he waited in line to be called for graduation. Margaret was standing right in front of him. _God, I'm so nervous. She's right there! Damn it, Rigby, why'd you have to drop out? _

"H-hey, Margaret?" Mordecai whispered.

"Yeah?' She asked.

"Um… I… well… congratulations."

"Same to you, Mordecai."  
><em>Dude, just tell her! What are the chance you're going to see her again? <em>

"I hope we meet again someday," Margaret continued.

"M-me too."

"How many times are we going to get threatened in one day?" Mordecai asked Rigby.

"I don't know. That Benson guy's a little tightly wound."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I need a break."

"Me too! Let's go somewhere!" Rigby shouted, and he started walking toward the park's exit.

"Alright."

They were both feeling slightly overwhelmed as they stepped out of the park and into town. They had never been exploring here before. Many people were walking through the streets, men, women, old, and young.

"Hey!" Rigby yelled. "There's a coffee shop!" He pointed to a cute little coffee shop that was on the opposite side of the street.

"Hmmm… Coffee does sound good right now," Mordecai agreed, nodding. "Let's go." They walked across the street and into the little shop.

"Hello," the waitress said. She stepped in front of them, holding a notepad in her hands.

"H-hi," Mordecai choked out. He couldn't believe it; she was here, now? She was standing in front of him?

"Oh, my god. Mordecai?"

"Hey, Margaret."

"It's been so long!" Margaret squealed, throwing her arms around his neck, which greatly shocked, but pleased him.

"I know!" _And my feelings for you are flooding back. _

"Oh, I better get back to work," Margaret said. "We'll catch up! Nice to see you two again!"

"You work here?" Rigby asked.

"Yup!"

"Then, we'll be seeing a lot of you. Mordecai and I just got jobs at the park!"

"Oh, really? That's awesome, guys!"

"Can we get two coffees, please?" Mordecai asked.

"Sure thing!" Margaret hurried to get the coffees ready.

Mordecai and Rigby sat down at a large table in the middle of the coffee shop. Mordecai's eyes were on her.

"Dude, the feelings are back," he said without looking at Rigby.

"Seriously? We haven't seen her in like five years. You still love her?"

Mordecai's eyes opened. He must have dozed off. Yawning loudly, he brought himself to his feet.

He rubbed the back of his head as he walked back into the house, back upstairs, and back into bed, his dreams making him feel worse than ever.


	5. Chapter 5

Mordecai was feeling up to stop moping two days later. Moping around wouldn't bring Margaret to him. To him, it was better that they were friends. He hoped to visit her that day and apologize for making her feel so uncomfortable.

"Morning," he said as he grabbed a bowl out of the cupboard. Rigby was already at the table, eating his own cereal; the box and milk were still on the table.

"Morning," Rigby answered back skeptically, watching his friend pour himself cereal and milk. "I'm surprised you're down here."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah," Mordecai said with a full mouth. He swallowed. "I thought it'd be better to quit my moping. It's not healthy for one not to live."

"Who told you that?"

"Pops. He came into my room last night while you in the bathroom. He gives pretty good advice. Though he also told me that lollipops are the cure of illnesses."

"Huh."

"Wanna come with me to the coffee shop?" Mordecai asked.

"You really want to?" Rigby asked, raising an eyebrow, the spoon halfway to his mouth.

"Yeah. I need to talk to her."

Mordecai and Rigby quickly downed their breakfast, thankful that today was their day off.

They rushed to the coffee shop. As they were about to enter, Mordecai froze up.

"What's wrong?" Rigby asked.

"This may not be a good idea," he muttered.

"Come on!"

Mordecai let out a deep breath and opened the door.

"Welcome, I'll be with you in…" Margaret started, but her sentence was never completed as right at that moment she met Mordecai's eyes. She turned her face away, busying herself with dishes. Eileen, however, skipped to them, trying to keep a cheerful face.

"Hi, you two!" She chirped.

"Hey," Mordecai said, keeping his eyes on the back of Margaret's head. "Margaret, can I talk to you?"

"I don't know. I'm pretty busy, Mordecai!" She called back. The dishes were finished, but she couldn't face him, not after what she did.

"Well, I'll be waiting." He and Rigby sat down.

"Can I get you guys anything?" Eileen asked, holding her notepad.

"I'll just have a coffee," Mordecai told her.

"Same for me," Rigby said.

"Okay. Two coffees, then!"

Eileen scurried off to get their orders filled.

Margaret glanced at Mordecai every few seconds, but his eyes never left her.

Eileen came back, holding two cups.

"They're on the house," she told them, setting the cups on their table.

"Oh, thanks," Rigby said; this made her smile.

Mordecai finally tore his eyes off Margaret. "Dude, you like her," he teased; it felt nice to tease his friend.

"Shut it," Rigby growled.

"She's cute, isn't she?"

"No. Be quiet."

"Haha."

"STOP TALKING!"

Mordecai found himself laughing, something he thought would take weeks or even months.

Margaret peeked at him again. She knew she would have to face him sooner or later.

She straightened her uniform and began walking toward them.

"M-Mordecai?"

"Huh?" Mordecai's smile faded when he came face to face with her. "Hey, Margaret."

"Ready to talk?"

"Yeah. Sit down."

Margaret sat down across from him.

"So?"

"I'm sorry," Mordecai told her. "For making you uneasy the other night. I wasn't planning on telling you, but it just happened. I just had to."

"If anyone should apologize, it's me."

"No. Don't apologize; it's not your fault you don't reciprocate my feelings."

"I'm still sorry. I know I put you through a lot." A lot was an understatement.

"I don't want this to destroy our friendship, Margaret. Can we still be friends? Without it being awkward?" He chuckled.

"I would like that," she said, smiling back.

They got out of their seats, facing each other.

Margaret stepped forward hugging him. Mordecai was taken aback, but he hugged her back, his blood pressure no doubt rising.

"I'm so sorry," she cried into his chest.

"Don't cry, Margaret," he told as gently as he told her at the movies. She looked up at him. He wiped the tears from her eyes. "Alright?"  
>She nodded. "I better get back to work." Margaret broke away from him and followed Eileen behind the counter.<p>

"So, is everything good?" She whispered to Margaret.

"I hope so. Being friends is better than anything," Margaret whispered back. "Now, all we need to do is get you with Rigby."

Eileen blushed scarlet. Margaret laughed.

"I'm getting out of here," Rigby said. "I have a date with the television."

"Aw, are you seriously going to watch that dumb show?" Mordecai asked.

"It's not that bad!"

"It's horrible!"

"You're horrible!"

"Fine, go and watch your bad TV."

"Okay then, I will!" Rigby shouted. "Pay for the coffee?"

"It was on the house," Mordecai reminded him.

"Oh, yeah. Well, bye!"

Eileen was about to say something before Rigby left, but her nerves got the best of her. She kept her head down as he walked past the counter. Margaret kept nudging her to say something, but she couldn't form the right words.

"Stop it, Margaret!" Eileen whined.

"Come on, Eileen; you need to ask him out."

"Every time I ask him out, he always has something to do. And I'm too shy."

"You'll get over it," Mordecai said suddenly, causing her to jump. "Shyness? It'll go away when you really want it to. Here." He put some money on the counter. "For the coffee."

"But, it was on the house," Eileen said.

"I know, but I feel kinda bad. So, take it, alright?" Eileen nodded, taking the money.

"Eileen, can you cover for me?" Margaret asked, looking at her cellphone. "Angel wants to meet me in the park."

"Oh, sure," Eileen replied .

"The park?" Mordecai repeated.

"It's not a problem, is it?" Margaret asked, half expecting him to tell her to ask Angel to pick somewhere else to meet.

"No. I'll walk with you."

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she accepted his offer. They said goodbye to Eileen and made their way out of the shop.


	6. Chapter 6

_I'm an idiot. I am an idiot! This is so awkward. _

"Thanks for walking with me, Mordecai," Margaret spoke up.

"No problem."

"I hope it's not too weird."

"Not that weird," he lied; she knew he was lying. "So…"

"So…"

"How are things with Angel?" He forced himself to say the name.

"A little strained," she admitted.

"Strained?" He repeated; he couldn't help but feel slightly pleased at the news.

"Ever since you told me… what you told me, he's been suspicious. He thinks I'm running off with you when I'm not with him or when I'm not working."

"That's insane. Wasn't he right there when you told me you…?" He cleared his throat. "…you didn't feel the same way?"

"He's just paranoid," Margaret told him, ignoring the small pang in her chest at his words.

"He shouldn't be. You care about him, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Then, he shouldn't be worried. I know you, Margaret; you're the sweetest person I've ever met."

She blushed. "Thanks, Mordecai."

"You don't have to thank me," he said sheepishly.

They didn't say anything to each other until they reached the park. Angel was sitting on a park bench, staring his watch, a look of impatience on his face.

"About time, Margaret!" Angel called. He spotted Mordecai next to her and stopped, staring him down. "What's he doing here?"

"I happen to work here," Mordecai responded hotly. "I live in that house over there." He pointed to the house.

"You just decided to walk Margaret here?"

"That's pretty much it."

"I don't believe it," Angel growled.

"What? Dude, I'm telling you the truth!"

"Out of the way!" Angel shoved Mordecai; he landed on the ground, with a look of bewilderment. "Are you cheating on me or something?" He turned to Margaret, who gasped loudly.

"What? No!" Margaret cried. "Angel, why would you think that?"

"That loser is too much of a loser to have a job," he pointed out. "I don't get why you walked with him, Margaret. Are you that stupid?"

"Angel…"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear it!" He shouted. "Hey, loser!" He spat at Mordecai, who was glaring up at him. "She doesn't love you. She's just using you to piss me off for forgetting our anniversary last week."

Mordecai didn't need to be reminded that Margaret didn't return his feelings. He got to his feet, a fiery hatred burning passionately in his eyes.

"You're the loser," he said defiantly.

"What was that?"

"You may have been a good guy at first to her. But, when I confess, you start thinking she's cheating on you? I don't get that! You don't deserve her, dude. Margaret is the most beautiful, most kind, most cheerful girl in the world, and she would never do anything to hurt anyone purposely. If you can't see that, then you're wasting your breath. Just leave now. She's too good for you."

"And you think that you're good enough for her?" Angel sneered.

"I don't claim to be good enough for her. Yes, I love her, and I know I can treat her a lot better than you can, but she's too good for me, too."

"Mordecai!" Rigby yelled, running out of the house. "What's with all the… Damn, he's buff," he said when he saw Angel.

"Rigby, what are you doing here?" Mordecai asked.

"The yelling was disrupting my TV time!"

"Who's this dweeb?" Angel asked, pointing at Rigby.

"The name's Rigby," Rigby replied. "Me and my buddy work here."

"I don't believe it. I believe your buddy here is trying hook up with my girlfriend."

"WHAT? Hey, jerkdish!"

"Rigby, stop!" Mordecai yelled, holding back Rigby as he attempted to jump Angel.

Angel took out his cellphone and began texting. At that moment, Rigby was able to break free of Mordecai's grasp. He jumped on Angel's face.

"ARRRGH!" He growled.

"GET OFF ME, YOU FREAK!" Angel screamed, dancing around trying to force the raccoon off his face. He dropped his cellphone in the process.

Mordecai stooped down and picked it up.

His mouth dropped at the text message.

Angel growled loudly as he finally managed to push Rigby off his face.

"Dude, where's my cellphone?" Angel cried, frantically searching the ground for it.

"Right here," Mordecai said, waving it in his hand.

"Give it back!"

Mordecai hid behind Margaret as he read the text aloud: '"Hey, Vanessa. I'm just talking with my girlfriend, Margaret and her loser friend, Mordo. Can't wait to see you tonight at the restaurant. Can't believe my girlfriend was dumb enough not to realize I've been seeing you on the side. Haha!"'

"GIVE ME MY PHONE!" Angel howled, charging at them. Mordecai pulled Margaret out of the way, throwing the phone against the grass.

"So, is that true, Angel?" Margaret asked softly.

"It's… it's a prank, baby. I'm not texting any…anyone."

"Yeah, right. That's a legit text message!" Rigby screamed.

"SHUT UP, YOU RODENT!" Angel grabbed Rigby by the tail.

"EEK, STOP IT!" A voice from behind them shrieked. It was Eileen. "DON'T HURT HIM!"

"Freaking gopher, get away," Angel panted.

Something seemed to have snapped in Eileen. Her eye twitched slightly. She picked up a rather large rock. "I'M A MOLE!" She screeched, chucking the rock at Angel's head. It didn't do much damage, but it did cause his head to bleed slightly. Rigby fell to the ground. "Touch Rigby again, and more will be coming," she threatened.

Mordecai, Margaret, and Rigby stared at Eileen, mouths agape.

"Wow," Rigby finally said. Eileen turned pink, smiling modestly.

"GRRR!" Angel snarled.

"HEY, HEY, HEY! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Benson screamed, his gumballs turning a hellish red color as he drove in the golfcart. Pops, Skips, High-Five Ghost, and Muscleman were in the cart too. "FIGHTING ON PARK PROPERTY?"

"WHOO! FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!" Muscleman cheered. "You know who else likes fights like this? MY MOM!"

High-Five Ghost and Muscleman high fived each other.

"It wasn't us, Benson," Mordecai said at once. "It was him!" He pointed to Angel.

"Yeah, right," Angel scoffed. "That raccoon mauled me."

"You had it coming," Rigby retorted.

"Leave. NOW!" Benson shouted.

"I'm not going anywhere until these guys are dead!"

"What? What was that? Skips!" Benson yelled.

Skips grunted, jumping out of the cart. He punched Angel in the face, drawing more blood. Benson got out of the cart and peered over Angel.

"Sorry, what were you saying? And if you think you're any match for Skips, think again. GET OUT, RIGHT NOW! Before I call the cops."

"Bunch of freaks!" Angel muttered. "And yes, Margaret! It was true! Vanessa is way more awesome than you are!" He yelled as he walked out of the park.

"Keep walking!" Mordecai shouted.

"You think you're good enough for her?" Angel yelled back.

"Like I said before, I don't claim to be good enough for her! But, I would never hurt her like that! Good luck living your pathetic, dead end life!" Margaret smiled at Mordecai's words, and something stirred in her she had never felt before.

Angel was about to turn back.

"HEY! You come back here, and you'll to have answer to me!" Benson threatened. "And trust me; I'm not afraid of you!"

Angel shrugged his shoulders and left the park.

"That was kinda cool," Rigby said. "I kinda wanted Benson to beat him up though."

"Now, explain yourselves," Benson said.

"He was messing with me and Margaret," Mordecai explained. "Rigby came out and mauled him. We got a hold of his cellphone, which revealed he was cheating on Margaret. And…he got pissed. This fight started."

"At least you didn't destroy anything," Benson said, examining the park. "But, never have a fight on this property again! Or you're fired!"

"Got it, Benson," Mordecai and Rigby said together.

"Unbelievable!" Benson groaned as he clambered back into cart. Skips followed. They drove off, Pops laughing.

"So glad that's over," Mordecai sighed, sitting on the bench with a big sigh.

"That was intense, dude!" Rigby yelled with glee. "Pretty awesome!"

"You're bleeding."

Rigby looked at his tail. It was bleeding slightly. "Ah, well!"

"You're okay?" Eileen asked.

"Y-yeah," Rigby coughed. "I must say, Eileen, that was pretty epic."

"Hehe, thanks."

They stared at each other for a while until they both blushed slightly and turned away.

Margaret sat next to Mordecai.

"Thank you, Mordecai, for sticking up for me," she said.

"It's nothing to thank me for," he replied.

Margaret smiled slightly as she gently brushed her fingers against his. His face reddened.

"M-Margaret?"

"How could I have been so stupid?" She asked herself, tears filling her eyes. "I really wasn't even hurt when I found about Angel cheating on me. You were always there for me, Mordecai. When all the others left. When I was down on my luck. You were always there. You stood up for me; you told him off for me. I didn't want to say, but I was kind of pleased… when you told me."

"Margaret."

"You're amazing." She scooted closer to him, tears running down her face. "Thank you. Stay with me, please. I'm sorry for what I did. Please, forgive me."

"You're forgiven," Mordecai said, heart swelling with happiness. "I love you, Margaret."

"I love you, too."

They looked deep into each other's eyes until. They leaned toward each other and met in a kiss.

"I was hoping it would work," Eileen said, watching the couple hold hands and cuddle happily.

"Yeah," Rigby agreed.

"You're not afraid of being left out?"  
>"Not anymore. Eileen, you really rocked today!" He cheered.<p>

"Thanks again," she giggled. "I just couldn't stand him hurting you."

"I never thought you would throw a rock at some guy. For me."

Rigby blushed deep red. He gently pecked Eileen on the lips.

"Rigby?"

"…Whatever."

"Wow, Rigby, I knew it," Mordecai laughed.

"STOP TALKING!"

Eileen giggled. "Thank you, Rigby," she said.

"Yeah," Rigby scoffed, crossing his arms.

**Author's Note: I had so much fun with this chapter! Writing Eileen like a BAMF was amazing! :) **


End file.
